Bathtub construction



April 19, 1966 E. A. THOMAS 3,246,345

BATHTUB CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 5, 1963 Enz/Wam' A. 7770//1415 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,246,345 BATHTUB CONSTRUCTIGN Edward A. Thomas, Salem, Ohio, assigner to The Murray Corporation of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 306,385 7 Claims. (Cl. 4-173) This invention relates to bathtubs and more particularly to bathtubs having vertical aprons providing an exterior facing outside of the tub wall.

It heretofore has been a common expedient to provide certain bathtubs with an apron wall spaced from the exterior sidewall of the tub proper to form an attractive exterior facing. Commonly, the apron is attached to the tub wall by a rim along the top exterior edge of the tub with the bottom of the apron resting upon the floor which supports the tub. The bottom of the apron is normally connected to the tub proper only at spaced locations. The apron is usually formed of relatively thin material such as cast metal with an attractive coating such as enamel on its exterior face. When the tub is moved across the lioor, as for example during installation, the bottom edge of the apron drags against the floor which frequently results in damage to the apron, particularly `chipping of the exterior enamel. Such chipping may occur because of physical Contact between the oor and the enamel coating which extends to or in some instances slightly below the bottom of the apron.

To overcome the disadvantages of the prior art an object of the present invention is to provide an improved bathtub with an apron wall which may be dragged across a supporting surface without chipping or otherwise darnaging the exterior face of the apron.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an improved bathtub with apron wall in which the bottom front corner of the apron is held slightly spaced above the supporting surface without detracting from the general effect of the apron as a total exterior facing.

Generally, the invention relates to a bathtub having an elongated sidewall and an apron wall generally parallel to and spaced outside of said sidewall, a rim connecting the top of said apron wall to said sidewall, said apron wall providing an exterior facing extending downwardly from the top of the bathtub to rest upon a supporting surface, said apron wall having a bottom edge parallel to the supporting surface, said bottom edge having a flush front corner and having pad means depending downwardly from said edge to rest on the supporting surface and maintain said front corner spaced slightly above the supporting surface, said pad means being located rearwardly of said front corner and of short dimension so that said pad means are hidden from the View of persons standing near the bathtub.

The invention having been generally described, a preferred specific embodiment will now be set forth in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE l is a front elevation of a bathtub according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end View of such bathtub partially in section; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section to an enlarged scale taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1 and showing a detail of one of the apron pads.

Depicted in the drawings is a bathtub identified generally by the reference numeral 11, having the usual sidewalls 12 and 13, end walls 14 and 15, and bottom wall 16. Spaced outwardly from the exterior sidewall 12 of the tub is a vertical apron wall 17 having an appropriate pattern formed in its exterior side to provide an attractive exterior facing or facade for the bathtub. The upper portion of the apron 17 is integrally connected to the top ice wall 12 by a rim 18 extending along the front edge of the top of the tub. The bottom of the apron is connected to the tub only at each end by a pair of inclined bracing members 19. The central portion of the bottom edge 21 of the apron 17 between the bracing members 19 is unsupported horizontally. Thus, the apron is subject to substantial stresses due to horizontal liexing and other forces. Such stressing is particularly prevalent when the tub is dragged across the floor in a direction normal to the apron.

The tub and apron wall may be made of various materials such as cast iron or other cast metal. The outer face 22 of the apron 17 preferably is provided with an attractive finish. For example, the face 22 may be coated with an enamel. The dragging of the tub across the lioor frequently will cause chipping of the enamel or other damage to the exterior apron face if the outer corner 20 of the bottom edge 21 of the apron is permitted to engage the floor.

To prevent or minimize such damage there is provided in accordance with this invention pad means 23, 24 and 25 depending from the bottom edge 21 of the apron 17. Preferably such pad means take the form of a plurality of relatively narrow spaced pads as shown in FIGURE l. The pads may be cast integrally with the apron 17 of the same material as the latter. In the specific tub illustrated, one pad is provided approximately in the center of the apron with one near each end of the apron. In certain circumstances it might be satisfactory to provide a single pad extending the full length of the apron, but plural spaced pads are preferred.

It is the function of the pads 23, 24 and 25 to maintain the front corner 2li of the bottom edge 21 of the apron raised slightly above the floor or other supporting surface on which the tub rests. The elevation of the apron edge above the supporting surface, however, should be very slight or the effect of the apron as an attractive total exterior facing for the tub will be destroyed. To the same end, it is undesirable if the pads are readily visible to a person standing on the floor outside of the tub. Thus, it is important that the bottom front corner 20 of the apron be flush. To that end, the downward protrusion of the pads is rearward of the front corner 20. The pads are preferably formed as shown in FIGURE 3 so that they depend downwardly from a rear portion of the apron edge 21, but not from the front corner 20 of the edge 21. Especially preferred is the wedge shaped form shown in FIGURE 3 where each pad slopes downwardly toward the rear of the edge 21. Thus, the pads retain the front corner 20 of the bottom edge 21 of the apron slightly spaced above the floor, but because of the short dimension of the pads and their leaving the front corner 20 flush, the pads are not observed by persons standing in a normal position in front of the tub. The pads would only be visible if viewed from a level very close to the floor. The desired effect is particularly well achieved if the sloping bottom surfaces of the pads begin at a point intermediate the front and rear corners of the bottom edge 21 of the pad with the rear surfaces of the pads flush with the rear surface of the apron and the maximum depth of the pads located substantially beneath the rear surface of the apron.

There has been illustrated and described what is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is understood, however, that various modifications may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention which is determined solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bathtub having an elongated sidewall and an apron wall generally parallel to and spaced outside of said sidewall, a rim connecting the top of said apron wall to said sidewall, said apron wall providing an exterior facing extending downwardly from the top of the bathtub to rest upon a supporting surface, said apron'wall having a bot# tom edge parallel to the supporting surface, said bottom edge having a ush front corner and having pad means depending downwardly from .said edge to rest on the supporting surface andmaintain said front corner spaced slightly above the supporting surface, said pad means being located rearwardly of said front corner and of short dimension so that said pad means are hidden from the view of persons standing near the bathtub.

2. A bathtub according to claim 1 wherein said pad meansis wedge shaped to provide a bottom surface sloping downwardly toward the rear of said edge.

3. A bathtub according to claim 2 wherein the sloping bottom surface of said pad means begins intermediate the front and rear of said edge.

4. A bathtub having an elongated sidewall and an apron wall generally parallel' to and spaced outside of said sidewall, a rim connecting the top of said apron wall 'to said sidewall, said apron wall providing an exterior facing extending downwardly from the top of the bathtub to rest upon a supporting surface, said apron wall having a bottom edge parallel to the supporting surface, said :bottom edge having a flush front corner and having a plurality of pads spaced horizontally apart and depending downwardly from said edge to rest on the supporting surface' and maintain said front corner spaced slightly above the supporting surface, said pads being located rearwardly of said front corner and `of short dimension so that said pads are hidden from the view of persons standing near the bathtub.

` 5. A bathtub accordingto claim4 wherein each of said pads is wedge shaped to provide a bottom surface sloping downwardly toward the rear of said edge.

6. A bathtub according to claim 5 wherein the sloping bottom surface of said pads begins intermediate the front and rear of said edge.

7. A bathtub according to claim 5 wherein said pads have rear surfaces ush with the rear face of said apron wall and the maximum depth of the pads occurs substantially below said rear face.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,116,015 11/1914 Clifford l 4-173 2,102,733 12/1937 Mueller 4--173 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BATHTUB HAVING AN ELONGATED SIDEWALL AND AN APRON WALL GENERALLY PARALLEL TO AND SPACED OUTSIDE OF SAID SIDEWALL, A RIM CONNECTING THE TOP OF SAID APRON WALL TO SAID SIDEWALL, SAID APRON WALL PROVIDING AN EXTERIOR FACING EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOP OF THE BATHTUB TO REST UPON A SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID APRON WALL HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE PARALLEL TO THE SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID BOTTOM EDGE HAVING A FLUSH FRONT CORNER AND HAVING PAD MEANS DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID EDGE TO REST ON THE SUPPORTING SURFACE AND MAINTAIN SAID FRONT CORNER SPACED SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID PAD MEANS BEING LOCATED REARWARDLY OF SAID FRONT CORNER AND OF SHORT DIMENSION SO THAT SAID PAD MEANS ARE HIDDEN FROM THE VIEW OF PERSONS STANDING NEAR THE BATHTUB. 